|
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 science fantasy film conceived by George Lucas, written by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett and directed by Irvin Kershner. It was the second film to be released in the Star Wars saga, and the fifth in terms of internal chronology. Among fans, the title is commonly abbreviated as "TESB", or referred to as simply "Empire".• Three years after the destruction of the Death Star. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia are pursued by Darth Vader and the forces of the Galactic Empire. While Han and Leia are chased across the galaxy by the Empire, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. Darth Vader secretly plots a trap for Luke that leads to a vicious confrontation. The film was released on May 21, 1980, and received mixed reviews from critics, though its reputation has grown considerably over time (and now many consider it the best Star Wars film). Over the original run and several re-releases, it has earned over US$538 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of 1980 and the 38th highest grossing film worldwide in all time.
Production George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars exceeded all expectations — in terms of sheer profit, its revolutionary impact on the movie industry, and its unexpected resonance as a cultural phenomenon. Lucas found this to be his perfect chance to become independent of the Hollywood film industry. Lucas did so by financing the film himself through loans and the earnings he had made from the previous film, an odd choice that went against the principles of many Hollywood producers. Now fully in charge of his Star Wars enterprise, Lucas chose not to direct The Empire Strikes Back because of his other production roles, including overseeing his special-effects company Industrial Light & Magic and handling the financing of the film. Lucas offered the role of director to Irvin Kershner, who had been one of his professors at the USC School of Cinema-Television. Kershner initally refused citing that a sequel would never be as high in quality or originality as the original Star Wars. Kershner later called his agent who immediately demanded that Kershner take the job. As well as handing off the director's chair, Lucas also hired Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett to write the film's screenplay based on his own original story treatment. After the release of Star Wars, Industrial Light & Magic, or "ILM", had grown from a struggling company and moved to Marin County, California. Star Wars for the majority of the time only featured space sequences. The Empire Strikes Back featured a number of space dog-fights, an ice planet battle sequence, and elements of cities that floated among the clouds. For the battle scenes on the ice planet of Hoth, the inital intent was to use bluescreen to composite the Imperial walkers into still-shots from the original set. However an artist was hired to paint many different landscapes resulting in the Imperial walkers being shot using stop-motion animation in front of the landscape paintings. When designing the Jedi Master Yoda, Stuart Freeborn based his design off of his own face and than added the wrinkles of Albert Einstein to add the appearance of intelligence. Sets for Dagobah were built to be five feet above the floor of the stage, allowing puppeteers to crawl underneath and hold the Yoda puppet up. This presented Frank Oz with communication problems as he was underneath the stage and was unable to hear the crew and Mark Hamill above. Hamill later expressed his dismay for being the only human character on set for months, as he felt like a trivial element on a set of animals, machines and moving props. Kershner later commended Hamill for his performance with the puppet. Filming began in Norway on March 5, 1979. While filming A New Hope in Tunisia, the production encountered the area's first major rainstorm in fifty years. While filming The Empire Strikes Back on Norway's Hardangerjøkulen glacier, they encountered the worst winter storm in fifty years. Tempratures dropped to twenty degrees below zero with eighteen feet of snow. On one paticular occasion, the crew was unable to exit their hotel. They achieved a shot involving Luke's exit of the Wampa cave by opening the hotel's doors and filming Mark Hamill running out into the snow and performing, while the crew remained inside the warm hotel. The production arrived to Elstree Studios in London for principal photography. Over sixty sets were built for the film, more than double the number used in the previous. Originally, Lucas had written an exchange between Han Solo and Princess Leia to read as Leia saying to Han "I love you." with Han replying "I love you too." Harrison Ford felt that the character was not being taken advantage of, Kershner agreed. After many different takes with several different versions, Kershner shouted to have the cameras begin filming and telling Ford to improvise. Solo's line was, in this moment, changed to "I know." During production, great secrecy surrounded the fact that Darth Vader was Luke's father. Like the rest of the crew, David Prowse, who spoke all of Vader's lines during filming, was given a false page that contained dialogue which differed from what is heard in the film. The famous line had been changed to "Obi-Wan killed your father". Until the film premiered, only George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Mark Hamill and James Earl Jones knew what would really be said. Jones later reported that his inital reaction to the line was, "Oh, he's lying!" The film includes a brief image of Vader with his mask off, facing away from the camera. For the original viewers of the film, this scene made it clear that Vader is not a robot, but instead organic — and possibly human. This fact becomes significant later, when Vader makes a surprise revelation that might be confusing without the earlier scene. Despite reports, the scene in which Luke gets knocked out by the Wampa was not added specifically to explain the change to Mark Hamill's face after a motor accident that occured in between filming of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. However, Lucas later admitted that the scene "helped" the situation, although he felt that Luke's time fighting in the rebellion was sufficient explanation. The Empire Strikes Back was originally shot with a budget of $25,000,000, which was considered big-budget at the time. However, production problems caused the budget to rise to $35,000,000, making it one of the most expensive movies of its day. After the bank threatened to pull his loan, Lucas was forced to approach 20th Century Fox and make a deal that secured the loan in exchange for paying the studio more money, but without the loss of his sequel and merchandising rights. Synopsis
Releases The film premiered on May 21, 1980, billed simply as The Empire Strikes Back, its original title in theaters. This 1980 version was released on VHS and LaserDisc multiple times during the 1980s and 90s. It was re-released with changes to theaters in 1997, and this version was later released on VHS and Laserdisc, and finally on DVD in 2004. Remastered versions of both the 1980 version and the 1997 re-release version appeared in a new DVD set in September 2006. The novelization was released in April 1980, and a radio adaptation was broadcast on National Public Radio in the United States in 1983. Although these new versions contain no significant changes to the plot of the original 1980 version, Lucas' continual tinkering has caused fan criticism, as well as inciting a more extreme form of criticism known as Lucas Bashing. Special Edition The Empire Strikes Back was re-released to theaters in 1997 as part of the "Special Edition" of the original trilogy. Lucas took this opportunity to make several minor changes to the film. These changes include explicitly showing the Wampa creature on Hoth in full form rather than implying it impressionistically; creating more details for the Falcons approach to Cloud City; digitally inserting windows with vistas of Bespin into the original white interior walls of Cloud City; and replacing certain lines of dialogue. A small scene was also added depicting Vader's return to his flagship after his duel with Luke, a scene which utilized an outtake from . Additionally, the film was restored and remastered from its original print. DVD release The Empire Strikes Back was released on DVD in September 2004. It was bundled with A New Hope and along with a bonus disc in a boxed set. It was digitally restored and remastered, with more changes made by George Lucas, detailed in List of changes in Star Wars re-releases. The bonus disc included, according to the official site, includes "all-new bonus features, including the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the Star Wars saga, and never-before-seen footage from the making of all three films." There is a commentary by George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Ben Burtt, Dennis Muren, and Carrie Fisher. An extensive documentary is included called Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy Also included are some featurettes, teasers, trailers, TV spots, still galleries, video game demos, and a preview of Star Wars: Episode III. For the DVD release, Lucas and his team made even more changes, mostly in order to ensure continuity between Empire and the newer Star Wars films. On July 29, 2003, during the production of Revenge of the Sith, Lucas shot new footage of Ian McDiarmid as The Emperor, to ensure a smooth flow of visual continuity, as McDiarmid played The Emperor in the other films. The scene also included changed dialogue to better tie in with the storyline in episodes III and IV. Changes also included slight improvements to lightsaber digital effects and a few removals of dialogue. Boba Fett's voice was changed (to match Jango Fett in Episode II) . Though his lines remain the same, many fans preferred his original seedy voice to the new New Zealand accent of Temuera Morrison. Also with this release, Lucas supervised the creation of a high-definition digital print of Empire as well as the other films of the original trilogy. It was reissued in December 2005 as part of a three-disc "limited edition" boxed set that did not feature the bonus disc. The film was reissued again on a separate 2-disc Limited Edition DVD in September 2006, this time with the original, unaltered versions of the film as bonus material. There was some controversy surrounding this release, since it was revealed that the DVDs featured non-anamorphic versions of the original, unaltered films based on laserdisc releases from 1993 (as opposed to newly-remastered, film-based high definition transfers). Since non-anamorphic transfers fail to make full use of the resolution available on widescreen sets, many fans were disappointed with this choice. Reaction Opening weekend in the United States generated $10,840,307. When it was re-released in 1997, its opening weekend in the USA made $21,975,993. In the USA, as of 2006, the gross revenue is $290,475,751 and world wide gross revenue is $538,375,067.• Though many today consider it the best of the Star Wars films, The Empire Strikes Back initially only received mixed reviews. This may be because the 1977 film's originality and its impact on popular culture had made "Star Wars 2" (as Empire was labeled in the press before its 1980 release) unable to fulfill its audience's excessive expectations. Some critics had problems with the story but admitted the film was a technical achievement. For instance, Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote a largely negative review. However, Bob Stephens of The San Francisco Examiner described the film as "the greatest episode of the Star Wars Trilogy." As years passed and Lucas' ambitions for his series grew, many critics cited Empires tight script, strong acting, and varied visual motifs as proof of its superiority over the other Star Wars sequels and prequels. Roger Ebert in his 1997 review called the film the strongest of the original trilogy and "the most thought-provoking".• Some have criticized Empire for departing from what was established in the previous film, particularly the revelation of Darth Vader as the father of Luke Skywalker (whereas in the original Star Wars, Vader and Luke's then-unnamed father were said to be separate characters). Lucas has been accused from time to time of subjecting the Star Wars films to heavy doses of retroactive continuity beginning with Empire and continuing with similar revelations in the later films, such as Princess Leia being Luke's sister and C-3PO having been built by Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. In retrospect Empire proved to be the most morally ambiguous and darkest of the original trilogy. The Empire Strikes Back won the Academy Award for Best Sound, given to Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Greg Landaker, and Peter Sutton, in addition to receiving the Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects that went to Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, and Bruce Nicholson. It was also nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Original Score, to John Williams, and Best Art Direction-Set Decorationl, to Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, Alan Tomkins, and Michael Ford. In 1981, it received Saturn Awards, including Mark Hamill for "Best Actor", Irvin Kershner for "Best Director", "Best Special Effects" to Brian Johnson and Richard Edlund, and was awarded "Best Science Fiction Film". It won the BAFTA Film Award for "Best Original Film Music" by John Williams, as well as being nominated for "Best Sound" and "Best Production Design". Williams' score also received the Grammy Award and the Golden Globe. The film was awarded with the Golden Screen Award as well as the Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation". It was nominated for the WGA Award (Screen) for "Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium".• Cast
Cinematic and literary allusions Although the static-camera 'documentary fantasy' influence/approach of Fritz Lang and Akira Kurosawa is less pronounced here than in any other Star Wars film, it is admittedly both absent from, and distinctly present in, the movie depending on the individual scene. Soundtrack In 1980, the disco label RSO Records released the film's original soundtrack on 8-track format in the United States. The front cover artwork featured the mask of Darth Vader against the backdrop of outer space.• A double-cassette edition was also released. In 1985, the first Compact Disc (CD) release of the soundtrack was issued by Polydor Records, which had absorbed RSO Records and its entire music catalog. This CD release, however, reduced the music content from the 75 minutes featured in the 1980 double-album down to 42 minutes. The tracks were also re-arranged differently. For instance, the first track on the CD is the "Imperial March" instead of the "Star Wars/Main Theme". In 1993, 20th Century Fox Film Scores released a special four-Compact Disc box set: Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology. This anthology included the soundtracks to all three of the original Star Wars films in separate discs. The disc dedicated to The Empire Strikes Back restored the original 75 minutes from the 1980 LP version and included new music cues never released before for a total of nineteen tracks. On the fourth bonus disc, five additional tracks from Empire were included in a compilation of additional cues from the other two films. This CD release also marked the first time that the famous "20th Century Fox Fanfare" composed by Alfred Newman in 1954 was added to the track listing, preceding the Star Wars Main Theme. In 1997, RCA Victor released a definitive two-disc set coinciding with the Special Edition releases of the three movies of the original trilogy. This original limited-edition set featured a 32-page black booklet that was encased inside a protective outer slipcase. The covers of the booklet and the slipcase had the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition poster art. This booklet was very detailed, providing extensive notes on each music cue and pictures of the main characters and action sequences from the movie. The two discs were placed in sleeves that were on the inside front and inside back covers of the booklet. Each disc had a glittery laser-etched holographic logo of the Empire. The musical content featured the complete film score for the first time. It had all of the previously released tracks, including extended versions of five of those tracks with previously unreleased material, and six brand new tracks of never before released music for a total of 124 minutes. All the tracks were digitially remastered for superior clarity of sound. They were also re-arranged and re-titled from the previous releases to follow the the story of the film in chronological order. RCA Victor re-packaged the Special Edition set later in 1997, offering it in slimline jewel case packaging as an unlimited edition, but without the stunning presentation and packaging that the original "black booklet" version offered. In 2004, Sony Classical acquired the rights to the classic trilogy scores since it already had the rights to release the second trilogy soundtracks (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones). And so, in 2004, Sony Classical re-pressed the 1997 RCA Victor release of the Special Edition Star Wars trilogy, inlcuding The Empire Strikes Back. The set was released in a less-than-spectacular package with the new art work mirroring the first DVD release of the film. Despite the Sony digital remastering, which minimally improved the sound heard only on high-end stereos, this 2004 release is essentially the 1997 RCA Victor release. Novelization A novelization of the film was written by Donald F. Glut, based on upon the screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett was released on June 12, 1985, published by Del Rey. The novel was originally published under the title Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, however, later editions were renamed Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back to conform with the change in the saga's film titles. Like the other novelizations of the Star Wars films, some background information is added to expand beyond what is depicted onscreen. Radio drama A radio drama of the film was written by Brian Daley and produced for and broadcast on the National Public Radio in 1983. It was based on characters and situations created by George Lucas and on the Screenplay by Leigh Brackett and George Lucas, directed by John Madden, Sound Mixing & Post Production by Tom Voegeli, music by John Williams, and Sound Design for Lucasfilm by Ben Burtt. There were 10 episodes that were each 22 to 24 minutes long. 750,000 people tuned in to listen to the series on February 14, Valentines Day. The Los Angeles Times described it as a "fun, spine-tingling, mind-bending piece of escapist entertainment that doesn't miss the visuals a bit." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| |